Posts about Vocabulary

Vocabulary Assessment Strategies

I use two main strategies to assess students vocabulary background knowledge at the beginning of each of our science units. First, I prepare a list of key words for the unit (sometimes including a few words that are not necessarily new for our grade-level, but that will provide students with some words that they feel confident about). I type these words in large font, copy onto cardstock, and laminate for posting in the room. I use these word lists in the following two strategies:

1) Categorize and Label

Students take the list of words and work independently to sort them into groups that make sense based on their prior knowledge. After sorting all words, students write a label or explanation for each group. While I use this at the beginning of a unit, it is also a great strategy to have students sort the words again later in the unit to show growth in knowledge–their groupings should become more precisely based on the relationships between the words. For some units of study, I have created vocabulary cards for students, printed on cardstock, and allowed them to sort the words more actively. Modifying the strategy to make it more interactive may work better for younger students.

2) Vocabulary Knowledge Continuum

Given the same list of words, students then sort them on a knowledge continuum–from this word is totally new to me to I know many ways this word could be used.

Now for the laminated words, you could use either strategy for posting the words in the room. For Categorize and Label, I like to give each student a word and allow them to silently group themselves around the room. I tack their groupings to a bulletin board and we continually refer back to the list as we learn new things. Students give me feedback on how to re-arrange the words. Other teachers have used the Vocabulary Knowledge Continuum to post the words, and as lessons are taught, unknown words are moved closer to the “greater knowledge” category.

You can purchase materials for these two strategies from my teacherspayteachers store for each NC 5th grade science goal.

Ecosystems Vocabulary–Prior Knowledge Strategies This packet also includes a Categorize and Label based on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. (Most of my ecosystems unit revolves around the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the environmental issues that affect the bays’ health.

Vocabulary Review Strategies

Vocabulary Mat Strategy: I came up with this strategy as an alternative to flash cards or match up games where students have both the vocabulary word and the definition. I have found that too many cards can impede students’ learning and review of vocabulary–thus vocabulary mats were born. The “mats” contain the vocabulary words and stay intact. The definitions are on another page and meant to be cut apart. Having students cut apart the definitions versus the words forces them to have to read the definitions when they are sorting cards onto the mats. Students take the definitions and lay them on the matching vocabulary word on the mat. Here are my four vocabulary mat products on Teacherspayteachers.

About Me:

I am so glad you found your way to my blog! Please click FOLLOW ME to stay in touch :) I am in my 10th year of teaching. Most of my teaching experience has been in 5th grade, but I have now taught 4th grade twice and looped with those classes for 5th grade. For 2014-15, I am at a new school and teaching 4th grade. I love being an elementary teacher because I think it allows us to teach the whole child (and isn't this what makes it so overwhelming sometimes?). I am blessed to get to do what I love every day.